By Olivia Krauth–
When director Sarah Clark took to the front of the stage in the Red Barn for the opening night of “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” she had a few requests for the audience. The final one: “If you don’t like our show, don’t say anything.”
I’ll be honest—after watching Wednesday night’s cue-to-cue rehearsal for a separate story, I was slightly concerned that this review would defy Clark’s request for the sake of honest journalism. Thankfully, that isn’t the case.
Cardinals for the Appreciation of Musical Theater’s latest production consists of nearly two hours of short scenes and songs, all revolved around every stage of “loving, leaving and wanting more.” It’s a small ensemble production with no named characters that moves quickly – perfect for impatient theater-goers like myself.
The 12-person cast was captivating and amusing, making performing as multiple characters within minutes appear easy. The simple backdrop caused the attention to fall directly on the few actors onstage at the time, a pressure which the performers handled well. Although some of the singing was difficult to understand at times, all cast members shone through and made the audience laugh countless times. My favorite part: A dance number involving dancing pizza delivery guys.
Unfortunately, the performance was marred by a few technical aspects, some of which were outside of the group’s control. There were some lighting issues in the first act, causing much of the action to be in shadows. Thankfully, these problems were mostly cleared up for the second act.
The performances are on the Red Barn’s stage in front of rows of orange, plastic chairs – much like a elementary school’s set-up where a gym or cafeteria would double as a theater. This slightly odd arrangement, coupled with the Red Barn’s stained glass windows that sparkled directly into my eyes, proved distracting for the first few numbers.
The opening night audience appeared to consist of mainly family and friends, which is probably a good thing because this show is definitely not G-rated. Prepare for some more adult humor and language, as well as a scene where nearly the entire cast strips down to their underwear onstage.
The show runs for the rest of the weekend: Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for students with valid student I.D.
